Flickering Myth’s writing team countdown to the UK release of Monsters University by picking their favourite Pixar Movies; next up is Chris Cooper with Finding Nemo….
“Just keep swimming“
“Fish are friends not food“
“Mine“
“Oh, man. Hey, no hurling on the shell, dude, okay? Just waxed it“
“My bubbles!“
I could go on and on with this. But you probably know them all anyway, as well as which character they come from. Finding Nemo is an extremely quotable film. Much like Anchorman every other line is memorable, and all the characters get at least one. Even the characters that don’t speak are instantly recognisable, such was the impact of this film in 2003.
Then there is the beauty of the film, with stunning views of the ocean and hundreds of different sea creatures. This ties into one my favourite features on any DVD – the ability to switch off the menu and just watch the vistas created by those fine folks at Pixar. Best screensaver ever? A virtual fish tank? Both and more.
The story is simple. After his son is caught by a diver, Marlin undertakes an epic journey to rescue his son. Along the way he learns to take risks, and that his son is capable of taking care of himself. A simple idea, but when executed this well it doesn’t need anything more. It’s also amazingly well paced. Moving between Marlin’s journey across the ocean and Nemo’s introduction to life in a fish tank, there is always an action beat or amusing dialogue lined up. 100 minutes zips by in no time.
Though no film could match the perfection that is the first 10 minutes or so of Up, Nemo’s start is similarly heart breaking, and leaves you rooting for the two little Clown Fish who need to find a balance between closeness and letting go.
Finally, there isn’t a single weak link in either the character designs or their voices. Famous voices such as Ellen DeGeneres or Willem Dafoe mix wonderfully into the ensemble cast. Even director and writer Andrew Stanton gets in on the act, providing the voice of surfer turtle Crush. From Bruce the shark’s monstrous grin to the school of moonfish who provide directions (voiced by Pixar favourite John Ratzenberger), all are easily recognisable and help show off the diverse nature of the ocean.
Quite simply, Finding Nemo is as near to perfect as you can get. It appeals to adults and children alike. It’s stunning to look at and elicits a wide range of emotions from sadness to laughter. Not just one of the strongest Pixar films, but one of the strongest animated films full stop.
“That’s a funny thing to promise. Well, you can’t never let anything happen to him, then nothing would ever happen to him.“
Chris Cooper
Originally published July 3, 2013. Updated April 14, 2018.
